Scourge's Heart
by it-will-be-anarchy
Summary: Scourge apparently cared for no cat. It was all about him. But what if there was a cat who may have come along and changed the fate of all cats in a way that no cat could have guessed? Formerly titled The Real Story of Scourge. Rated T for gore.
1. BloodClan Allegiances

**This is my new story, about Scourge. I know they had a manga, but I thought it wasn't deep enough. So, this is what happened...for real. DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!!!!! Okay, not FOR REAL. But what I think would've been the awesomest thing to happen. DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!**

**BloodClan**

_Leader_- Scourge (small black tom with a white dash on his chest)

_Deputy_- Bone (black-and-white tom)

_The Guard_- Ice (white tom with icy blue eyes)

Snake (brown-and-white tom)

Fang (light brown tabby tom)

Dark (dark gray tabby tom)

Slash (ginger tom with long claws)

_Regular Warriors_- Flame (ginger tom)

Fern (gray she-cat with a black stripe down her back)

Pigeon (light gray fluffy she-cat)

Air (white she-cat with black tabby stripes)

Spots (light brown tom with dark brown spots on his flanks)

Thorn (black tom)

Thistle (black tom)

Flower (golden she-cat with amber eyes)

Bite (light gray tabby tom)

Raze (dark brown tabby she-cat)

Leap (tortoiseshell she-cat)

Ash (dark gray tom)

Barley (black-and-white tom)

Violet (small, pale orange she-cat with darker orange stripes)

_Mothers_- Sand (tan she-cat); mother of Thistle's 6-moon-old kit: Shadow (dark black she-cat with dark gray eyes)

Night (black she-cat); expecting Ash's kits

**Well, there's the allegiances. The story is going to center around Scourge and Shadow...of course. I like any name that has -shadow in it. So, Shadow's a main character. DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!!!!!**


	2. Shadow

**So, get ready...get set...READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

Shadow leapt backward, breathing heavily. Blood flowed freely from a wound along her side.

Bite sneered at her. "You're so weak and useless. If Raze and I ever have kits, I hope they're not as weak as _you_."

Shadow hissed and lunged at Bite. But her injury made her slow, and Bite easily sidestepped and slashed her back. Shadow fell to the ground, her vision going hazy.

"Weak," Bite growled. "Useless." He stalked past her.

Shadow's vision went black as she saw a tan shape fly toward her.

##########

Shadow awoke feeling stiff and sore. Twisting her head around, she saw angry red wounds slicing down her back and left side.

"So, you're finally awake."

Shadow groaned and looked at her mother, Sand.

"Hey, you should be more grateful. I saved your worthless life," Sand meowed.

Shadow gritted her teeth. "And you only did that to please Scourge with another warrior."

Sand shrugged indifferently. "It's Scourge. I'd do anything."

Shadow hissed. Her mother and father, Thistle, had never even been mates. Sand had been padding after Scourge since the beginning of BloodClan.

Shadow turned away from her mother. "I'm leaving."

"For good?" Sand meowed hopefully.

Shadow didn't respond. She stalked out of the Twoleg waste thing they lived under to find her friend Night.

She slipped through the alleys of Twolegplace. Finally, she came upon the box that Night lived in. Shadow made a lot of noise, just in case Night wanted to shoo her away. Nothing came in her direction, but she heard Night's voice and her mate, Ash's.

Shadow rounded the corner of the box. Inside, Night and Ash were laying with their pelts pressed together. Ash was licking Night's ears gently, purring with happiness. Night was purring too, though she looked both happy and scared.

When Night saw Shadow, she leapt to her feet. "Shadow!" she meowed excitedly. "Guess what?"

"What?" Shadow meowed, though she already guessed.

"I'm expecting Ash's kits!"

Shadow purred in congratulations for her best friend, though she felt uneasy. Could Night pull off the hatred that queens were supposed to show to their kits?

Ash stood up. "I have to get going now," he meowed swiftly. "We've already spent too much time together. Bye, Night. Bye, Shadow." He padded quickly out of the den.

Night looked after him. When he was finally out of sight, she turned to Shadow. "So, Sand is getting to you again?"

Shadow just nodded.

Night looked sympathetic. "Mothers are supposed to be cruel and distant, but not _that _cruel and distant. Like, they don't usually let their kits fight to the death."

Shadow nodded again.

Night curled her tail protectively around her belly. "I would never do that to my kits."

Shadow gaped at her. "But...Night! You have to!"

Night shook her head. "No, Shadow. I...I hate the brutality of BloodClan. Once my kits are born, I'm leaving. I would leave now, but I wouldn't be able to support myself because I'd be too slow to hunt."

Shadow looked helplessly at her friend. "But, Night, you're the only friend I've ever had!"

Night shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Shadow. But I have to do this."

Shadow paused for a moment, then mewed, "But, what if you have four kits? What would you do then?"

Night shook her head yet again. "I'd find a way. Please, Shadow. You can't tell anyone."

"I promise," Shadow meowed.

"Okay." Night yawned and immediately fell asleep.

Shadow left Night and wandered through the alleys with no sense of where she was going. She didn't want to go back to Sand yet. After a while, she found herself in front of Scourge's den.

"Oh, no," she muttered, and turned around to go. No one who wasn't part of The Guard were allowed to get in the same alley as Scourge's den.

She started padding away when suddenly there was a flash of black. Scourge was standing before her, his black pelt bristling.

"I decreed that all but The Guard were to stay away from my den," he growled.

Shadow rolled her eyes. "I was just leaving, so if you'd excuse me."

Scourge circled her menacingly. "No one defies me," he hissed.

Shadow's eyes glinted. "I do."

The bones on the end of Scourge's claws gleamed as he lunged at Shadow. Shadow rolled away, marveling at how much better she felt in one day. She felt like she could take on a thousand Bites and still win without a scratch.

Scourge whipped around and came at her again. This time he caught Shadow on the shoulder, leaving a deep cut that spurt bright red blood. Shadow staggered and fell to the mercy of Scourge's claws.

Scourge stood over her and smirked. "Weakling," he snarled. "You're completely useless to me. Unable to fight. Unable to hunt."

The blood roared in Shadow's ears as her vision went foggy. "Someday," she gasped, "I'll show what I can do. I'll prove it to you."

Scourge hissed. "Well, until that day comes, _stay away from my den_." He spun around and stalked away.

_I will not faint, _Shadow groaned in her mind. _I will _not _lose consciousness. Not right in front of Scourge's den. _A surge of energy burst through her, and with a snarl, she flew at Scourge.

Catching Scourge unawares, she landed hard on his back and began tearing out clumps of fur. Scourge yowled in surprise, but quickly regained his composure and rolled over, trying to crush Shadow beneath him. However, though Shadow must have been over six seasons younger than him, she was still nearly as big as him, though she had always been small herself. She slipped off him back as he rolled over, exposing his belly. Still snarling, Shadow ripped the bone reinforcements at the end of his claws off, then, pressing her weight on top of him, placed her paw on his neck.

"I am not useless," she hissed. "I am not weak. I can fend for myself. I can hunt for myself. I need no one."

Scourge looked at her hard, and something flashed in his eyes. _Fear_?

But soon it was gone. He tipped his head to one side cockily. "Maybe I can make something out of you," he meowed snidely. "Maybe you can become part of The Guard."

Shadow's heart leapt. _The Guard! _She'd never even considered becoming part of The Guard!

"Who is your mother?" Scourge asked.

Shadow snorted. "Sand."

"Ah, yes." Scourge nodded knowingly, his eyes twinkling with something more than cruelty. "Yes, she's the tan one. The foolish one. I thought she killed all of her kits?"

A lump rose in Shadow's throat as she thought of her two brothers, deemed too weak at birth and brutally murdered. "No. She...only killed Sun and Moon. She wanted to keep one alive to...please you."

To Shadow's surprise, Scourge let out a raspy purr. "Please me, she has."

Shadow stepped off of Scourge and backed away. "I should be getting back to her," she meowed cautiously.

"Why?"

The question caught her off guard. Shadow swallowed. "Because...she'll be worried," she lied.

Scourge snorted. "I know your mother. She doesn't care about you." His blue eyes bored into Shadow's stormy gray ones. "But I suppose you should be going." He paused, like he was going to say more. Then he shook his head minutely. "Come back tomorrow. Here. That's an order."

Shadow nearly fell over in shock. _Scourge _wanted to see _her_? But she kept her cool. "Yes," she replied.

Scourge's eyes still studied her, making her feel uncomfortable. She slowly backed out of the alley, then ran all the way to Night's box, where she poured out the whole story.

Night yawned, then shook her head in wonder. "I suppose you do have talent. I've never seen you fight, but I know Bite sure doesn't like you."

Shadow just looked out of the box, where it had started to rain, her gray eyes mirroring the color of the stormy sky.

**I know I should be typing the 100 Tales Challenge I'm doing, but it gets boring sometimes...no freeform. Have to do it about something specific. Even if I don't win, I'll finish it, slowly but surely. Anyway, R&R, please!!!!!!!**

**~Wildshadow24  
**


	3. Because of a Mouse

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!**

Shadow woke blearily. Next to her, Night slumbered deeply, every so often subconsciously curling her tail around her belly. Shadow stretched painfully, then stared out at the dripping and foreboding alley outside the box.

The rain had stopped, but now the water was dripping from the stony Twoleg dens that surrounded either side of the alley. The sky was still a bleak gray, with boiling clouds rolling across it.

Shadow felt the box around her, which was completely soaked through. She then noticed that she was shivering, as well as Night.

Shadow gently shook Night. Night groaned and opened one eye. "I'm cold," she slurred.

"Come on," Shadow meowed soothingly. "I'll take you to Ash's den. It's usually warm there."

Night's eyes opened wide. "But...you know that mates aren't allowed to sleep in each other's dens!" Night shuddered. "Ash was already punished hard enough for that."

Shadow shook her head in despair. "It's not good for your kits to be freezing out here. If worst comes to worst, I'm sure Ash will even switch dens with you. Now come on, I'm not going to let your kits die."

At the possibility of her kits dying, Night leapt to her feet. "We have to go!" she meowed urgently, her tail tip stroking her side. Then she sagged. "I'm hungry."

"I'll catch a mouse for you," Shadow snapped. "Now come on."

Shadow and Night hurried along the alleys, looking for the one familiar Twoleg waste thing that Ash usually lived under. Water didn't get in as easily as a box, and it was usually as warm as the alleys could get.

Night stumbled in fatigue. Shadow remembered that the kits would be sapping her strength, so she set Night under a drier box and meowed, "Wait here. I'll get a mouse."

As she started padding away, Night called, "But what about your meeting with Scourge?"

Shadow stopped and cursed. She had forgotten, and now she was going to pay. But Night and her kits' lives meant more to her than any meeting with Scourge, so she continued on.

She didn't find any mice, but she found a wet rat, which she killed instantly and took back to Night. Night was sleeping again, so she shook her awake and gave her the rat.

Night licked her chops, then meowed, "I'm in the mood for a mouse."

Shadow twitched her ear irritably. "There aren't any mice."

Night's amber eyes searched the box like there could have been a mouse at her paws. "I want a mouse."

"You can't get a mouse," Shadow hissed. She dug her claws into the box.

"But I want a mouse, not a wet old rat!" Night whined.

Shadow rolled her eyes. "Night, we can't just go out and catch you whatever you want. Now eat, or you'll die."

Night took a mouthful, then gagged. "I want a mouse!" she repeated angrily.

Shadow lost her patience. "Fine! I'll get you a fox-dung-eating mouse!" she yowled. She whipped around and stalked out of the box, as she listened to Night complain to herself how no cat could find mice anymore.

Shadow sighed. She wished she hadn't been so mean to her friend. She remembered that expecting mothers usually had specific kinds of food they craved at different times. At least, that's what Sand had complained to her about. How expecting kits had been the "worst time of her life. The kits inside you are just so needy and picky. They can't do anything. They should hunt for themselves." That made Shadow wonder that if her mother hadn't starved herself, maybe her brothers would have been strong. Sand wouldn't have killed them.

Shadow looked all over, looking behind and around the cans with the black Twoleg waste skins inside them. She found a mouse hole, but the scent of mice was all washed away. There were no others she could find, no matter how stealthy she was.

Suddenly, an icy voice snaked through her ears, making her blood run cold. "Do you want this?"

Slowly, dreading the sight, she turned around. Scourge was standing there, a mouse in his jaws. He looked smug and triumphant.

Shadow gulped. "Er, no...I just...er..."

Scourge let out a mirthless laugh, though to Shadow's surprise, she realized that it wasn't meant to be mirthless. It was supposed to be..._light. _And, dare she say it..._cheerful?_

"I know you're trying to help your friend," he meowed indifferently. "Expecting, is she?"

Shadow nodded.

"Whose?"

"Ash's."

Scourge seemed to muse this.

Shadow swallowed again. "Please, I just want to...provide you with more strong, healthy warriors."

Scourge nodded. "Take it. I have plenty more in my den."

Astounded at his generosity, Shadow took the mouse. She dipped her head in thanks and submission, then backed away. Again, Scourge seemed like he wanted to say more, but he held it back.

"I see now why you disobeyed my direct order," he meowed slowly.

Shadow nodded. "I just want to make sure my friend has good kits."

"I'm glad. I need more warriors."

Shadow kept backing out, until Scourge was gone. She then spun around and ran all the way back to the box where Night was sheltering. Sleeping.

"Did you get me a mouse?" Night murmured sleepily, opening her eyes halfway.

"Yes," Shadow meowed, pushing the mouse towards Night and praying that all scent of Scourge had been washed off.

Night sniffed it warily, then gobbled it up. "I'm tired," she meowed.

Shadow's tail flicked in annoyance, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she nudged Night to her paws and guided her to Ash's den.

Ash's eyes widened. "Night! You look terrible!" He jumped to his paws and took Night's weight from Shadow, and settled her down in the middle of the den, where it was the driest. "What happened?"

"Her den got soaked through," Shadow explained as Night fell asleep.

Ash licked Shadow's ears in thanks. "I'll take good care of her," he promised.

Shadow nodded and left the den as Ash layed down next to Night.

Overhead, the clouds opened up, and rain started pouring. Shadow raced through the alleyways, looking for her and her mother's den. She rounded a corner and skidded inside, only to run into something small and black.

Shadow fell backwards and lay sprawled out on the ground. Scourge turned around and looked at her in pleasure, which he quickly hid, as Sand came up behind him and purred.

"Shadow," he greeted.

Sand looked from behind Scourge. "Shadow?" she meowed angrily. "I thought you'd left for good!"

Scourge then turned to look at Sand. "She is not old enough to leave," he hissed.

Sand was flustered. "I...er, I didn't mean...no, I would never..."

Scourge growled. "You cannot take care of your kits properly. I asked for harshness, but not so harsh that they would die."

Sand bared her teeth at Shadow. "You!" she yowled, and lunged at her. Shadow wailed as Sand began tearing out clumps of fur. "You! I nearly had Scourge, I was _so close_! And then _you _come along! _You_! Why would Scourge even care about you? It's _me _he wants, _me_!"

Shadow pushed Sand off with all her might, and Sand banged into the top of the Twoleg thing. Dazed, she fell to the ground.

Scourge loomed over her. "Sand, I hereby take away your kit," he snarled.

Sand whimpered. "No, Scourge. I love you. Don't leave me."

Scourge brought his paws down on Sand's head, and she stilled.

"Is she dead?" Shadow breathed.

"No," Scourge hissed. "I need her alive to give me more warriors. I don't care from where. She'd obviously do _anything _for me."

"What's...what's going to happen to me?" Shadow meowed worriedly.

Scourge bared his teeth at Sand. "Until we can find another mother to take care of you, you'll have to live with me."

Dread seeped into Shadow's veins. She looked fearfully at Scourge. "I'm sure...I'm sure that's fine," she meowed hurriedly. "I can take care of myself."

"No. You will live with me. That's an order."

Shadow's legs trembled as she fought the urge to run away. "Okay."

"Good." Scourge stalked out of the den. "Come to my den. Tomorrow. That's an order."

Shadow nodded mutely. When Scourge was long out of earshot, she let out a wail of despair. She didn't want to live with Scourge! He was brutal, and vicious, and cruel!

The rain came down harder.


	4. Scourge or Death?

**Thanks for all your kind reviews! Now, this is VERY VERY important: Can someone tell me what season The Darkest Hour takes place in? I'm too lazy to flip through the book myself, so, if you know, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me!!!!!! Now, on with the show!**

Shadow gulped. She was about to lose everything: Her freedom. She slipped through the alleyways soundlessly, brooding over her misfortune. Why did Scourge have to take her in? He never cared about any another cat like that. Maybe Scourge loved her. The thought nearly made her sick.

"Hello, Shadow."

Shadow hated the sound of her name on Scourge's tongue. She looked at him fiercely, but his bright blue eyes showed nothing but hidden happiness.

_He loves me, _Shadow confirmed. _Oh, great Scourge, I'm going to retch._

"Well?" Scourge hissed. "Are you going to greet me back?"

Shadow swallowed. "No."

Scourge let out a raspy purr, and she flinched as he stroked her shoulder with his tail. "Such attitude. Makes a fine BloodClan warrior."

Shadow couldn't stop herself. "Don't touch me," she growled ominously, unsheathing her claws so they scraped across the wet stones.

Scourge moved forward until they stood nose-to-nose. "You will obey me," he meowed in a hot whisper.

"No," Shadow retorted.

Scourge drew himself up to his full height, but it didn't make him look bigger since Shadow was nearly as big as him anyway. "Must I exile you?"

"Do what you want," Shadow meowed firmly, "but I'm not living with you."

"You will unless you want to be cast out on the streets, with no hope of living." Shadow again felt sick as she saw his eyes twinkle. He was _enjoying _this.

"I don't care!" Shadow yowled, her gray eyes stormy.

"Well, that's good," Scourge meowed sweetly, "because I'd never let you go, anyway."

Shadow backed away slowly. _BloodClan is crazy. I have to get out of here._

"Shadow. I order you to live with me," Scourge meowed. "You will not leave. You will not hunt. I will have that all provided for you."

_He really does love me, _Shadow thought. _And I hate it. I hate him._

"No!" Shadow wailed, her voice becoming hysterical. "I hate you! I don't care if I die, at least I'll be away from _you_!" Shadow turned around and raced down the alley. She pretended that she hadn't seen the genuine heartbreak in Scourge's eyes, and that she didn't hear him coming after her.

##########

Shadow settled down in the forest. Once she was sure she had lost Scourge, she had tried to relax, but she was still jumpy, thinking of his eyes staring out at her from every shadow, every movement in the forest.

Shadow looked around, making sure she was safe. Suddenly, there was a snarl. Shadow leapt to her feet, claws extended, the pine needles around her paws whipping around.

"Get off our territory, rogue," a voice hissed. Three cats came out into the moonlight, their fur bristling, their lips drawn back in snarls.

Shadow's mouth went dry. "Who's territory is this?" she asked.

A cat snorted. "Don't pretend like you don't know. We've seen you before."

Shadow shook her head. "No, I don't know." She looked down at herself, seeing if maybe they were mistaking her for some other cat. She gasped. The way the moonlight shone through the trees...it couldn't be. But she had a white dash on her chest and one white paw, it seemed.

Scourge!

"No, I'm not who you think!" she meowed quickly, moving out of the moonlight and becoming totally black. "My name is Shadow! I don't even know where I am!"

"ShadowClan territory, fool!" the cat hissed. "Now get off it, or we'll have to kill you!"

Shadow scrambled back the way she came. Sprinting, she followed her own scent trail into the Twolegplace of BloodClan territory. She knew what she must do now. The cats in the forest had made something click.

Be with Scourge or die.

**Hmmm...I think that's my shortest chapter yet. I don't know. Anyway, in your reviews, please tell me what season The Darkest Hour took place in! Okay, R&R!**


	5. Why Couldn't She Feel the Same Way

**Alrighty then. Haven't updated this in a while, been working on Echostar a lot...BUT ANYWAY, this chapter is in Scourge's POV...I was originally planning on having both POVs in my story, but I sorta got caught up in Shadow, 'cause I think she rocks...here we go.**

Scourge tracked Shadow's scent all the way to the edge of BloodClan territory. Snarling slightly, he stared off into the pine forest, then looked to the left, where the familiar deciduous forest stretched on.

_I will destroy him._

_That Tigerpaw._

_He has the nerve to nearly kill me?_

_When I was nothing but a weak, defenseless kit._

Scourge unsheathed his reinforced claws, then turned his attention back to Shadow.

_I must get her back._

_She is mine._

Scourge delicately stepped into the territory, where he had learned that there were more cats like Tigerpaw around. They, however, didn't seem so cruel and ruthless to attack a kit; on the contrary, he found them quite interesting. They seemed the strongest of the "Clans", as they said. They didn't stop until they got what they wanted. Scourge had been spying on them.

Scourge's heart leapt when he saw a pure black shape slide out of the forest.

"Shadow," he growled.

Shadow looked at him defiantly. "I'm still not coming to live with you," she growled. "I just want to be a normal BloodClan cat. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Well, if you want to be a normal BloodClan cat, you must listen to my orders, and therefore I order you to come and live with me," Scourge meowed calmly.

Shadow bared her teeth. "Why do you want me to come and live with you, anyway?"

Scourge could tell she already knew the answer, so he did not reply.

"Come," he meowed, flicking his tail, and reluctantly, Shadow followed, knowing she was beaten.

##########

Scourge ordered Dark, Slash, and Fang of The Guard to come and protect his den inside the strange box made out of hard Twoleg material day and night, to make sure that Shadow was safe--and that she didn't try to run away again.

Shadow spent the next quarter-moon pacing the box, refusing to eat anything and refusing to sit anywhere near Scourge. But Scourge wasn't offended. He knew patience. He knew to take his time.

Finally, Shadow turned to him and snarled for the umpteenth time, "I want to go hunting."

"No," Scourge hissed back. "You will not leave my den. Dark and Slash will keep you safe, while Fang will bring you food." He glanced distastefully at the pile of rotting crowfood from the past quarter-moon, but continued, "If you are to live here, you will do what I say."

"I didn't _want _to live here," Shadow yowled, with just a note of hysteria in her voice. "I just want to live like I did before, even with Sand's abuse. I want to be able to visit Night and Ash and all the other cats. I want to hunt for myself, fend for myself, live for myself. I _don't need you_."

Scourge didn't answer. Instead, he stalked out of the den, fuming, telling Dark, Slash, and Fang to watch over Shadow more carefully than usual.

Any she-cat would kill their own families to live like Shadow did, to be next to Scourge almost constantly, to be fed without worrying about their next meal, to be warm and safe and dry all the time. _Why _didn't Shadow like it?

_Why _didn't Shadow love him?

He loved Shadow more than he thought he ever could. He never thought that he could love another cat as much as he loved himself, but he found that Shadow meant more to him than BloodClan, than even keeping himself alive. He would _live _for her. He would _die _for her.

Why couldn't she feel the same way?

**Awww, mushy Scourge! Haha, I was savoring the moment when I typed that. Scourge seemed like the kind of cat that put on the mask of 'I hate the world' but actually cared deeply for someone. I dunno how long this story will be...I think that it might be sort of shorter. But we still got a few chapters to go, ten maybe.**


	6. Throw Her Life Away

**Doo-doo-DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Three...two...one...BLAST OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOSH, I'm hyper. And yes, starpelt1543****, I am a girl. So don't worry.  
**

Shadow felt her stomach rumble as Fang pushed in a particularly plump rat. _No, _she thought fiercely as she fought the urge to gobble it up, _I won't eat anything I haven't caught myself. _She stared at the pile of wasted food in the corner of Scourge's den. _No use keeping it in here, _she thought grimly, and she picked up a stray leaf and pushed it out with her paws.

"Hey, watch it!" Dark snarled as the crowfood fell out of the den.

"Sorry," she grumbled. She stared at the night sky. _How could I get out of here?_

She studied Dark, Slash, and Fang, who had barely slept since her imprisonment. They looked heavy on their paws, and their eyelids were in a permanent droop.

"Why don't you guys sleep?" she asked irritably.

"Can't," Slash grunted. "You need guarding."

"It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"Scourge doesn't seem to think so."

Shadow laid down and rested her head on her paws. When would Scourge leave her alone? Why couldn't Scourge understand she didn't love him?

##########

Shadow awoke to the sunlight streaming into the reflective den. She couldn't understand why Scourge lived here. When the sun was very hot, the den heated and burned like fire.

Stretching as well as she could, she looked at Fang, the only one of her three guards that had managed to stay awake.

"Where're you goin'?" he mumbled drowsily as she stepped out of the den.

"I need to stretch my muscles," she snapped, wincing as her one back leg gave way. "I haven't been walking for days."

"Scourge said you needed to stay in the den."

"Who cares what Scourge says?"

Shadow gazed at Fang for a few moments, then realized he had fallen asleep.

Dragging her paws, she trudged solemnly down the alley, thinking of catching a rat and then visiting Night. She wondered if Night was okay.

As she turned a corner, she ran into the familiar small and black thing which she hated so much.

Scourge loomed above her. "Why are you out of the den?"

"You can't keep me imprisoned forever," she retorted.

"I don't want to lose you."

"Lose me? What do you mean by that?"

"You'll run away. I can't let that happened."

"Why?" Shadow hissed, firing up. "Why do you have to care about me? Why, Scourge? Why? I'm sick of it! Just let me go!"

Scourge looked momentarily shocked, his blue eyes locked on Shadow's blazing gray ones.

"I can't," he croaked, and Shadow hated this sensitive side of him. She wanted to claw the look right off of him, so he got back to his usual indifferent self. "I can't let you go."

##########

Shadow rolled onto her back and stared at the roof of the den.

_Stupid Scourge._

_I hate him._

_I wish he'd go away._

_I wish he'd leave me alone._

_I hope I never see him again._

Shadow looked at Scourge's softly rising and falling flank, as he murmured in his sleep. Shadow couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked, and that he actually looked like a cute little kitten when he wasn't ruining her life.

_Am I being too hard on him?_

_It's not like he can control his feelings..._

_Should I maybe give him a chance?_

She shook away the thought immediately.

_No._

_I hate him._

_I hate him with my whole heart._

_I hate him with my whole being._

_I hate him with my whole existence._

Though she couldn't help but wonder.

##########

Shadow opened one bleary eye to see Scourge standing over her. He looked pained.

"You can...go, if you want."

"What?"

"You can leave. Be back by nightfall."

Shadow scrambled to her paws. "Really?"

"Really." Scourge tried a weak look of happiness, but he couldn't manage it, so instead he snapped at Dark, "Fetch Bone for me. I need a report."

Dark nodded and scurried off. Shadow quickly followed, feeling almost elated. She had to come back, but at least she could be free for a while.

She made her way over to Night's den. Not finding her there, however, she went to Ash's den. Night was up and wolfing down a mouse, while Ash was just looking tired.

"Shadow!" he meowed, surprised. "I thought that you were living with Scourge now."

Shadow rolled her eyes. "He let me go for a while. Thank goodness. I hate him so much."

Ash stared around quickly. "Don't say that!" he whispered, panicked. "They'll--"

"I say it all the time in front of him," Shadow meowed wearily. "I don't know if he cares anymore."

Ash shrugged. "Well, anyway, Night's doing okay." His voice lowered to a whisper. "But she's permanently living here now, because she can't take care of herself. I don't know what would happen if one of The Guard found us."

"Don't worry," Shadow mewed grimly. "I'm sure I could help you somehow, if worst came to worst."

##########

Shadow crawled back into Scourge's den, feeling pleased for the first time in moons.

"So, you've come back."

Shadow looked coolly at Scourge. "You didn't trust me."

"You haven't given me any reason to."

"True," Shadow meowed slowly, "but i'm not the kind of cat to break my word."

"You haven't given me any reason to believe _that_, either."

Shadow watched him frostily. "Well, I'm not. Now that I've got my head, I'm usually pretty trustworthy."

Suddenly, Scourge was right in front of her. "Prove it to me."

Shadow gulped. "How?"

Scourge didn't say anything. Instead, he went back to his nest and hissed, "Go to sleep."

Trembling, Shadow lowered herself into her own nest, and watched Scourge intently. He was small for his age, yes, but under his pelt lay rippling muscles, and on the end of his claws and on a collar on his neck were the bones of animals defeated by Scourge. Shadow shivered, realizing that she didn't want to be just another cat, killed mercilessly by Scourge in his never-ending blood rage.

She had to keep friendly with Scourge.

Even if that meant throwing her whole life away.

**Awww, poor Shadow doesn't have a choice in life. I sorta feel bad...almost. Not really. I've already got this whole story planned out, and I'm afraid it's going to be a lot shorter than I'd have liked, but I can't keep stalling like this.**


	7. I Will Never Love You

**Wildshadow24: Blah, blah, blah, blibber blubber blabber bluhhhhh...blah blooh blunh--**

**Shadow: GET ON WITH IT, WOMAN! I WANT TO GET TO MY HAPPY ENDING?**

**Wildshadow24: ...What happy ending? Muhaha...muhahaha...MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Shadow: 0_o**

Scourge looked out over the Gathering he had called together.

He had discovered that Barley and Violet, two littermates, had been living together against his law. Now, as punishment, he was going to kill them both.

He barely paid attention to what he was doing. His gaze fixed on his warrior Ash and his mate, Night, who was due to have her kits any time now. Scourge nearly drew his lips back in a snarl. _Why won't Shadow feel the same way about me?_

He shook it off and looked down at the cats gathered around.

Violet was crouching below him, looking scared to death, as Bone dragged in Barley.

"Violet!" Barley cried, springing forward, but Bone held him back.

"This is what we do with cats who break the rules!" Scourge yowled, flicking his tail. At once, Snake and Ice appeared from the shadows, making Barley's eyes widen. Scourge cackled softly to himself, because he knew that the four were littermates.

"No!" Barley yowled. "Leave her alone! Fight me if you must! She's done no harm!"

Scourge looked down at him, whiskers twitching in amusement and licking his chops as he thought how much this would break Barley's heart. "It's true," he snarled. "You are the one who broke the rules. You are the one who must be punished." Scourge paused, savoring the moment of Barley's despair. "And what better punishment could there be than for you to watch your sister die right in front of you."

"No!" Barley wailed, at the same time that Scourge heard a whisper of "No!" Scourge looked to his right, where he had told Shadow to stay. Shadow was looking up at him as though he were a monster, backing away with horror brimming in her beautiful gray eyes.

Scourge couldn't pay attention to her, though, because he was too busy enjoying Snake and Ice as they ripped their sister's belly open. He nearly jumped with excitement as the blood spilled out of her, and her paws twitched feebly. Snake and Ice licked the blood off their paws and retreated, as did the rest of BloodClan. Scourge stayed to watch just long enough as Bone threatened, "Don't ever try to fight BloodClan again. We always win." Bone retreated also, and as Barley crawled over to his sister, his breath coming in ragged gasps, Scourge finally left, pleased with the day's events.

"How could you?"

Scourge spun around. A pair of gray eyes were glinting in the shadows, filled with hatred and disgust.

"What?" Scourge meowed innocently, looking at his denmate of two moons.

"You killed her!" Shadow wailed hysterically. "You killed her!"

Scourge shrugged. "They were breaking the rules, she deserved to die."

"Are you heartless?" Shadow screeched. "I knew you killed cats, and that was bad enough, but this...was too horrible for words! You're the lowest, vilest cat I've ever met!"

Shadow's words stung. "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

"I have no choice but to live with you!" Shadow yowled. "I can't do anything to hurt you, except one thing that I'm saying right now!" Shadow fixed her stormy eyes on Scourge's icy blue ones.

"_I will never love you!_"

**Pretty short chappie. But I thought that was an appropriate place to leave off, since I want to move ahead in time next chappie.**


	8. You Must Die

**Awww, poor Scourgie is heartbroken! Now it's time to wreak some havoc!**

Scourge stomped through the alleyways.

Two moons ago, those words were said, and they still hurt.

_I will never love you._

_Why?_

_Why?_

Scourge froze as he heard the sound of squeaking kits.

"They're getting so big, Ash...and there's four of them, how can we ever continue to hide them?"

"We'll find a way."

Scourge swiveled his ears toward the Twoleg waste thing where the sounds were coming from. Creeping over, he recognized Ash, Night, and their four kits, whose names he hadn't bothered to learn.

"But how? If Scourge ever finds them--"

"Mommy! What's that moving thing out there?"

"What moving thing?"

"Outside the den, there was something..."

Scourge knew he had to act. "Indeed, there is something," he hissed in an icy voice, and stalked inside the den, where Ash and Night looked terrified, and the four kits, three gray tabbies and one black, blinked up at him with huge, blue eyes.

"Are you Scourge?" the black she-kit squeaked.

"Yes," Scourge meowed nonchalantly.

"Look, Scourge," Ash meowed desperately, "it's not what it seems, it's--"

"I heard what you were saying," Scourge interrupted. "Didn't I say it's against the rules for mates to live with each other? That the queens must fend for themselves?"

"Yes, but Night couldn't--"

"_Yes, but Night couldn't_," Scourge mimicked in a sour voice. "I don't care that she couldn't take care of herself, that's her problem! I don't care that she'll die, it's her own fault!"

"What's going to happen, if our parents were bad?" a gray tom squealed.

"Well, obviously, Night and you kits living was just a mistake," Scourge meowed simply. "And Ash is a rulebreaker. Which simply means you all must die."

##########

Scourge licked the blood off his claws, savoring the salty tang. Ash had been no match for him, and soon six bodies were laying under the waste holder, their eyes glazed over in shock and fear.

"Night! Ash!"

Scourge winced desperately as Shadow came padding down the alley. She couldn't see him here!

"Scourge..." Shadow meowed when she saw him. "What..." Then her eyes widened as she caught the stench of death. "You didn't."

"I..."

"Please, tell me you didn't."

"Well..."

"Why, Scourge? Why!"

Shadow shot under the waste holder and wailed in despair as she caught sight of the bodies.

"No! You can't be dead!"

Scourge felt something stirring inside of him. Was it..._regret?_

Shadow stormed out of the den, but instead of looking despairing, her eyes were blazing, her fur was fluffed to twice her size, and her unusually long claws were unsheathed and scraping at the ground as she glared at Scourge.

"_You_."

"Listen--"

"_YOU! YOU KILLED THEM!_"

"But--"

Suddenly, Shadow's voice dropped, and it was sickly-sweet. "You killed them," she mewed, her voice dripping with false kindness. "And now you must die, too."

**This is getting really dark! Warning--much blood is in the future, and maybe some horror that would be quite inappropriate for children under the age of 8. It would give them violent thoughts and make them start going "WORLD OF WARCRAFT!" and such.**


	9. I Guess So

**'Kay, the battle sequence probably won't be awesome, because battle sequences make me bored. So, here we go.  
**

Shadow lunged at Scourge, blind fury sharpening her senses.

Scourge swung a paw at her, meant to just knock her to the ground and not draw blood, but she dodged it and came in again. Scourge tried to move out of the way, but Shadow slid under him, sliced his belly, and came back up, where she flipped onto his back and tore out clumps of fur. Scourge shook her off, then came at her warily. She feinted to the right, slipped left, and raked her claws across Scourge's shoulder. Howling, Scourge seemed to forget all about her being his love and clawed at her flank, making the blood begin to flow. Shadow ignored the pain and brought her paws down on his head, making him crash to the ground, and with a sickening _crunch _his jaw moved in a way that was completely unnatural.

Scourge seemed to be brought back to his senses by this. "Shadow," he murmured, wincing at the pain of speaking. "I'm...I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're not sorry," Shadow snarled. "You're not sorry about anything."

Suddenly, like lightning, Scourge was on top of her. "Except falling in love with you."

##########

Shadow laid down in the den as all of Scourge's followers treated his wounds. She felt a wave of satisfaction as he yowled in agony every time a cat touched him.

Shadow sniggered as she heard Sand come and start fussing over him like a little kit. "Oh, my poor Scourge, did my no-good daughter do this to you? I tell you, she is just a horrible little brat, I wish I'd never had her. I am _nothing _like her myself, though, I would never even _think _of doing something like this!"

As he sent Sand away, Shadow heard Scourge mutter, "If you're nothing like her, then I'd never love you."

Shadow felt her heart battling within her. She _hated _Scourge, he was a murderer! But yet he was so caring, and sensitive, and just wanted the best--for the ones he cared about, anyway. And he was muscular, and sleek, and...

_Snap out of it! _Shadow thought desperately. _I can_not _love him, he's horrible!_

_But he loves you so much that he's willing to die for you._

_Does that mean anything to me?_

_Yes._

##########

Scourge came into the den, cobwebs covering all his wounds and wincing as he sat in his nest. He looked at Shadow ruefully.

Shadow studied her paws. "Look, Scourge..."

"It's all right," Scourge meowed heavily.

Shadow looked at him. "What?"

"You can go. Be a free BloodClan warrior. I can see now...after all these moons...I haven't managed to break you. To make you...love me...like I love you."

_That's not true._

Shadow cleared her throat slightly. "Maybe you have managed, Scourge," she meowed softly.

Scourge stared at her, as though hardly daring to believe it. "What do you mean?"

Shadow looked away. "I think...I might be in love with you," she whispered.

Scourge blew out a breath. "That was sudden."

"Well," Shadow meowed weakly, shrugging, "I suppose attacking you made me think a little harder."

"But I thought you hated me. I killed your friends."

"I know that!" Shadow meowed, scraping the bottom of the den impatiently. "I know. I don't know why I feel this way. I just do."

Scourge stared at the ground. "Well...if you love me...are you my mate?"

Shadow gazed at the outside of the den, hardly believing that she was saying these words. "Well...yes," she whispered. "I guess so."

**That was a confusing chapter. I HATE YOU now you're my mate BUT I HATE THAT YOU ARE but I love you so much!**

**Huh?  
**


	10. Revenge

**Well, we're getting nearer and nearer to the end! *sobs* I can't think of what else to do! Oh, and I couldn't remember exactly what happened in The Darkest Hour or the Scourge Manga, so just improvise what happens with what happens there.  
**

Scourge couldn't believe it.

Finally.

Finally.

She was his.

Scourge felt so elated that he could barely feel his wounds as they healed. He wondered if happiness helped wounds heal faster, because they were gone in a quarter-moon, and his jaw wasn't bothersome, so he ignored it.

And through it all, Shadow was by his side.

He knew he couldn't let the rest of BloodClan know that he had a mate. They would think him weak because he would give up the Clan for her. They might make him step down so Bone could take over. He couldn't let that happen.

Scourge was out walking when Bone suddenly came, leading two familiar cats.

The first cat was Boulder, a former BloodClan member who had left, searching for 'a better life'. Scourge had never liked him, and was frankly glad when he had left. But the other cat made the fur on his pelt prickle, and he had to remind himself of his promise to Shadow that he wouldn't kill any more cats to stop himself from ripping the cat's heart out right then and there.

It was Tigerpaw.

Scourge forced himself to stay calm as he meowed, "So, Boulder. Decided to come crawling back to us, have you?"

Boulder straightened his back and raised his head. "No, Scourge. I'm happy with my life in the forest. But I have brought someone to talk to you."

"Hello," Tigerpaw meowed, his deep voice barely recognizable from the kit's squeak he had had before. "My name is Tigerstar, leader of ShadowClan."

_Your name was Tiger_paw_, _Scourge thought. _Do your names change through the ranks of your Clan? Is -paw for warriors in training, and -star for leaders?_

"Why are you here?" Scourge asked coldly.

Tigerstar dipped his head. "I have come to ask for BloodClan's help."

Scourge's hackles raised immediately. "What do you need our help for?" he hissed.

Tigerstar kept his head low. "I have many enemies," he mewed, "too many for just my Clan to take, for you see, there are four Clans in the forest. I am the leader of ShadowClan, the greatest, but my enemies are the rest of the other three Clans, and even though I could take down one or two, there are just too many for even my elite warriors to handle."

"So?"

"I am asking for BloodClan to help me either kill them or make them join forces with me."

Scourge hesitated for a moment. His promise to Shadow rung in his ears. "What would we get in return?"

"All the territory that ShadowClan is not using."

Scourge pricked his ears. "Well, I think that's a pretty good deal," he meowed, all thoughts of Shadow wiped from his mind. "What do I need to do?"

"Simply come with me to scare the other Clans, and possibly have a little skirmish. I will send Boulder when I need you."

"Well, I anticipate seeing you sooner or later," Scourge meowed crisply. "Goodbye."

Tigerstar and Boulder began to leave the alley.

"Tigerpaw," Scourge muttered, though loud enough for only Tigerstar to hear it. Tigerstar shot him a glance, then a wave of fearful recognition seemed to crash over him, and he left faster than before.

"Was that wise, Scourge?" Bone asked gruffly.

"Do you question me?" Scourge snapped, but then meowed, "Yes, I think it was very wise on my part. My revenge will come soon."

##########

At the end of the alley, Shadow listened in fear as she heard Scourge's plans to destroy the Clans of the forest.

**All my chapters are short now! Estimated number of chapters left: 5**


	11. Start Over

**...I have nothing to say.**

Shadow paced the floor of her and Scourge's den. What could she say to him? It had been a half-moon since she had overheard Scourge's plans. She was afraid that she and Scourge still weren't close enough, and that Scourge might still kill her. In the end, she decided to say nothing, though she knew it was unwise.

Scourge padded in, looking satisfied.

"Hello, Scourge," she meowed slowly.

Scourge looked at her, as though only remembering that she existed. "Oh, hi Shadow," he mewed. "It's going to be a cold leaf-bare, I'll ask my warriors to bring you some extra moss."

"That would be nice," Shadow meowed absentmindedly.

Suddenly, Bone came skidding up right outside the den. "Boulder is here," he meowed breathlessly.

"Excellent," Scourge meowed. He turned to Shadow. "Shadow, I want you to stay here, no matter what you may hear."

"Wait--what?" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "What will I hear?"

"Nothing," Scourge meowed hastily. "Just--stay here, no matter what!" Scourge ran out of the den, at Bone's heels.

Shadow waited for a few moments, then followed.

##########

Shadow panted, out of breath, as she listened to voices. She hadn't been able to keep up. She had felt too slow, and everything had happened so quickly that she hadn't eaten, and her stomach was rumbling.

She could only hear catches of what was going on, and she didn't want to go closer, in case she was spotted.

"--using you--"

Gasps and screeches of astonishment and fear.

"--what you want, then you may leave--"

"--not leaving--"

"--what--"

"--three days--"

Shadow guessed that the meeting was coming to an end, so she sprinted as fast as she could, all the way back to Twolegplace, and into Scourge's den, where she panted and wheezed until Scourge came in.

"What happened?" she asked as coolly as she could, but then shrieked as she looked at Scourge's reinforced claws.

They were stained with blood.

"Scourge!" she screeched. "What did you do!"

Scourge looked down at them and hasily licked them. "Nothing," he insisted. "Just a little fight--"

"I thought I told you! Never to kill any cat again! I trusted you! Now I know I was wrong to!"

"But we had to kill--"

"I heard you," she hissed furiously. "Your plans of taking over those Clans. I won't be part of it. I won't!"

Scourge looked astonished, then shook his head. "But, Shadow...I would rule, and you would be next to me, as my mate and most trusted warrior--I'd give you anything you want--"

"You won't rule," Shadow growled, "because those Clans will stop you. I don't want anything you give me, and _I'm not your mate!_"

Scourge looked heartbroken. "Where will you go?"

"Anywhere," Shadow hissed. "Anywhere. Just _far away from you_."

##########

Shadow stumbled through the undergrowth, cursing under her breath.

She stopped in a clearing and looked up at the sky, listening to the screeches of her former Clanmates and the other Clans in battle.

_I have to know what happens._

Turning around, she staggered back to the place where the battle was raging. Shadow's eyes scanned the cats, searching for the small black pelt with the white dash...

There.

Scourge was fighting with some flame-colored tom. Shadow watched in horror as Scourge bashed the cat on the head, and the cat collapsed to the ground, dead.

_You promised._

Shadow nearly wailed, but then saw in amazement that a star-covered form seemed to be rising from the ginger tom's body. Scourge went off to fight other cats, but Shadow's eyes never left the tom. Suddenly, the starry form seemed to come back to the cat, though slightly fainter than before, and the tom was gasping, alive again.

_How did he do that?_

But Shadow didn't ponder this for too long, because the flame cat was battling Scourge again. They fought furiously for what seemed like eternity, then suddenly, it was over. Scourge was lying, dead, at the fire cat's paws.

Shadow almost wanted to wail, _No! Scourge, he can come back to life, you can too! _But she thought of how many more innocent lives would be taken if Scourge did come back, and she was resolved not to feel anything as she padded away, hearing her former Clanmates flee from the scene behind her.

She stalked over moorland now, not caring where she was going. She saw mountains looming before her, and realized that over the mountains, past the mountains, would be a good place to start over.

So she slept at the foot of the mountains, ready to begin a new life.

She thought.

**Hmm, well, I think that you might have guessed what's going to happen. It'll become clear next chapter...**


	12. Kit Mother

**I'm going to focus on this story until it finally gets DONE! Jeez, it's starting to annoy me, simply because I already know what's going to happen! My usual writing style is to wing it and write on the spur of the moment. A.K.A for all you Echostar readers, killing Silverkit, Snowpetal, and Flameheart, badgers attacking, ShadowClan's weirdness...though I know what I'm going to do with ShadowClan's weirdness now...heh heh...**

Shadow staggered out of the pool of water, coughing and choking. She had fallen down the waterfall in the mountains, thanks to her new-found slowness and clumsiness.

It had been a quarter-moon since she had begun her trek into the mountains, and she had been losing energy rapidly. Finally, she had leaned over a river to drink, and found herself being swept down the river, finally falling over a waterfall, barely having the strength to fight for air.

Shivering, Shadow laid down and simply gazed out at the mountains, hardly believing what she was doing. A moon ago, she was a happy--well, not necessarily happy, but satisfied--BloodClan warrior who seemed to have more power than even Bone the deputy. Now she was just a clumsy, blundering, four-season-old cat barely finding her way through the mountains to escape the remains of BloodClan.

Shadow focused in on an unusually colored rock. It was a lighter brown, but there was an oddly shaped darker patch on it's bottom. As Shadow looked around, she realized that many rocks had an oddly shaped patch on it. She studied the one, and suddenly recoiled in fear as she realized it had eyes.

The darker patches all moved, and came at her as though moving as one.

"Who are you?" the patch closest to her boomed.

Shadow looked up at the patch, terrified. "My name is Shadow," she mewed, "former BloodClan warrior."

"BloodClan?" the patch bellowed. "We have never heard of BloodClan."

"Not many have," Shadow meowed. "Now, who are you?"

The patch paused, it's amber eyes glinting. Then it hissed, "I am the Teller of the Pointed Stones. You may call me Stoneteller."

"Okay, Stoneteller," Shadow mewed uncertainly, "_what _are you?"

A long, pink tongue protruded from what must be Stoneteller's mouth, and he licked at his body rapidly until the dark stuff--what must be mud--was gone, and light brown tabby fur was revealed.

"A cat, like you," Stoneteller rumbled. "Tell me, Shadow, former warrior of BloodClan, why are you here?"

"I--I'm here to escape BloodClan," she meowed waveringly. "They were nearly destroyed. Only some lived, but I'm afraid they'll try to rebuild BloodClan. BloodClan killed innocent cats."

"So, I see why you left it."

"Stoneteller," a cat meowed, coming up next to him. "This cat may be a threat."

Stoneteller _mrrowed. _"Threat? I think not, Cloud. No, no, this kit-mother cannot harm us."

The blood pounded in Shadow's ears. "Kit-mother?" she meowed faintly. "Is that like a queen?"

"Your words are strange to us," Stoneteller mewed. "A kit-mother is a mother of kits. They take care of the kits until the kits are old enough to become to-bes. To-bes train to become either prey-hunters or cave-guards. I think the names are pretty self-explanatory."

"So I'm expecting kits?" Shadow meowed weakly.

Stoneteller nodded. "But didn't you know?"

"No," Shadow replied.

"Well, you're welcome to stay with us until they arrive," Stoneteller meowed.

Gasps of shock and incredulousness rose from the mud-covered cats.

"Stoneteller!" Cloud hissed. "Is that wise?"

"I will not drive this cat away," Stoneteller meowed imperiously. "These mountains are too rough for an unfamiliar she-cat and her kits. They would be dead in a few days."

Shadow nodded, mute, and followed Stoneteller on a path to a hidden cave behind the waterfall.

_Well, Scourge, even though I tried to stop you, you're going to live on. In a way that I won't be able to destroy._

**CUTE LITTLE KITTIES! And I have a plan for them...**


	13. A Tiny Storm of Daisies

**Nothing extremely eventful happens between coming to the Tribe and having kits, so let's skip to the having kits. And Shadow has learned Tribe ways and names and blah blah blah. Heh. The name of this chapter makes me giggle. Bwehehehe.  
**

The pain was terrible.

Shadow tried to yowl in agony, but she could barely croak before she was swept into another wave of fresh pain.

The kit-mothers around her all tried their best to comfort her, but it couldn't stop the horrible pain.

_Am I going to die? _Shadow thought. _Are my kits going to die? Does the Tribe of Endless Hunting not want Scourge's descendants to live on...just in case they grow up to be like him?_

"You're doing fine, Shadow," the one kit-mother, Star, soothed, though she looked worried.

_What's wrong? _Shadow thought desperately. _What's happening?_

Suddenly, the whole scene before Shadow disappeared, and suddenly she was dragged into what seemed to be someone else's dream.

_Diving into a pool of water._

_Leaping onto an eagle._

_Fighting side-by-side with unfamiliar cats._

_Looking at a she-cat, hidden in shadow._

"Shadow!" Star snapped.

"What?" Shadow meowed groggily. "What happened?"

Star still looked worried, but she meowed as cheerfully as she could, "You had a dark gray tom."

"Is he okay?" Shadow asked.

Star didn't answer.

_Has the Tribe of Endless Hunting taken my firstborn kit?_

Shadow fell into a fresh lapse of pain. "How much longer?" she moaned.

"I don't know," Stoneteller meowed, coming up beside her. "That first one took longer than usual. Longer than what a kit-mother expecting three kits usually has for all three kits."

Shadow moaned again as excruciating pain seemed to rip her apart from the inside. Again, she was brought into what seemed to be a dream.

_Sneaking through the darkness, looking for something._

_Finding a group of cats, alone and confused._

_Slashing._

_Blood._

_A feeling of triumph._

"Another one!" Stoneteller meowed triumphantly.

"A black-and-white tom," Star mewed.

Shadow twisted her head and gasped as she saw Scourge's look-alike squeaking, slithering across the ground. The same black with the white dash on his chest.

"This one is perfectly healthy!" Stoneteller meowed, seeming pleased.

Shadow stared in fear at her son. _Was that his future I saw?_

Suddenly, a wave of the worst pain yet crashed over her, and she screeched. She could just hear Stoneteller speaking to Star.

"I don't think she's strong enough. She's probably going to die. Do you have enough milk to feed these kits?"

Star nodded. "I was starting to like her..."

Shadow felt fear stab her heart. _No...no! I can't die...I have kits to take care of...I need to get my second son on the path of good..._

Again, she was swept into the dream.

_A gray-and-white tom was purring._

_Waves of cats moved past, stirring up feelings of confusion and longing._

_Running through the forest, three barely day-old blind kits swinging in front._

_Badgers everywhere, clawing and biting, as wails rose up from many cats._

_A brown-and-black tom, looking away angrily._

_Two kits, squealing for their father._

_A cat's anguished wailing as another cat died before __him._

Is this the future of my last kit? Shadow thought drowsily. Is this going to be the horrible life of my last kit?

Shadow didn't know how long she laid there, pain making her numb, flashes of her final kit's life replaying before her eyes.

"Done!"

The pain was suddenly over.

"You have three kits, a dark gray tom, a black-and-white tom, and a cream-colored she-kit."

_None look like me?_

"Great," Shadow meowed heavily.

"Names?" Star asked, busily pushing her three kits to her belly to suckle. "Usually, Tribe of Rushing Water cats name their kits after the first thing they see once their kits are born."

"Really? What did you see?"

"Gray Sky Before Dawn," she meowed matter-of-factly.

"Really? How did you see the sky from here?" Shadow mewed, looking through the hole in the wall that was the only opening into the little cavern.

"That's not important."

Shadow decided not to push.

"Well, I suppose since you're not formally Tribe, you can name them whatever you want."

"I think I'll give them Tribe names," Shadow meowed suddenly.

"Well, go for it."

Shadow thought hard, looking at the stormy gray pelt of her first kit that matched her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Dusk," Star replied. "Stoneteller said there's a storm coming."

"Storm Clouds at Dusk!" Shadow meowed suddenly.

"What?"

"Storm Clouds at Dusk. That's my first kit's name."

"He'd be called Storm, then," Star mewed. "What about the black-and-white?"

Shadow barely concealed a shudder as she thought of her son's bloody future. _No_, she thought fiercely, _I won't let him grow up like that. _But she couldn't hide the fact that he looked so much like Scourge. But she couldn't name him Scourge...

"Tiny," she whispered. The name Scourge had told her he despised.

"Tiny, huh?" Star meowed. "Tiny what?"

"Erm...Tiny...I'll have to get back to that."

"Storm, Tiny, and..." Star looked at the creamy she-kit.

Shadow thought. She wanted something anti-Scourge, something that would bring her past him and his murdering bloodthirst.

"Daisy," she whispered. "Daisy That Grows in Meadow."

Shadow curled her tail around her three kits, and fell asleep**.**

**I've been planning this since the beginning. Well, it was only going to be one kit, and there was no Tribe, but the kit was always going to be...that name. I'm saying 'that name' for people who might've not figured it out for some reason. WELL, it's coming to a close.**


	14. Escape

**Okay, I've been saying it's coming to a close since like chapter 6. But I'm SERIOUS now, it is. Estimated number of chapters left: 3**

Shadow looked down at the little balls of fluff kneading at her belly. They were only a day old, and their eyes weren't open. Storm and Daisy didn't suckle very vigorously, and barely got milk before running out of energy and slumping down, exhausted. But Tiny kneaded so hard that his claws dug into her side, and he bit as though he was intentionally trying to hurt. He wailed every time Shadow shifted, and he was constantly drinking. Shadow couldn't move or sleep. But she still loved them fiercely.

Shadow knew that she couldn't stay with the Tribe. She didn't feel like she belonged. She knew the ways of the Tribe now, and she could manage if she left. But Stoneteller wouldn't let her.

"Your kits will make fine Tribe cats," he cooed. "Tiny will be a cave-guard, and Storm and Daisy will be prey-hunters."

Shadow nodded halfheartedly, looking down at the kits she had never planned for. "You're not Tribe cats," she whispered. "I have to get you out of here."

Night fell, and the Tribe all settled down to sleep. When the full moon was floating high in the sky, Shadow picked up Storm and squeezed through the entrance to the nursery, skirting around in the shadows so the cave-guard didn't see her. She set down Storm, and did the same thing with Daisy, then made sure that Tiny was still fast asleep before picking him up and having him join his siblings. She knew if he woke up, he would wail.

Looking at the slippery, narrow path beside the waterfall, she drew up her courage, picked up Tiny, and slung him over her back. His uncontrolled claws caught in her tangled fur, and he held, still sleeping. Shadow knew she couldn't risk three trips on the path without being seen. She did the same thing with Storm, then picked up Daisy by the scruff and put one paw in front of the other. She was nearly at the end when she lost her footing, and Storm went sliding in the water.

Storm fell in with a squeak, loud enough for the cave-guard to hear him; the cave-guard yowled something, and Shadow heard him start to rush out. Desperately, she went and hid herself and her other two kits behind a rock.

She couldn't tell who the cave-guard was in the moonlight; it made their fur glow silver. They dove in after Storm, and emerged with a tiny wet bundle, which Shadow was relieved to see was coughing and spluttering. Stoneteller and Star and a few other cats came rushing out; Shadow could just hear them conversing.

"Shadow must have been trying to escape." Cloud was looking at the bundle at his paws, and licked it gently.

"Where is Shadow?" Stoneteller sounded panicked, and he looked as though he wanted to dive into the water himself.

"She and the other kits must be drowned by now."

Stoneteller dipped his head in sadness, and something flashed in his eyes. "We will sit for them. Star, you can take care of Storm. He will be your kit from now own." Star dipped her head, her eyes glistening with despair.

The cats retreated with Storm. Shadow nearly wailed in sadness. She knew that she couldn't go back for Storm. Storm would be raised as Star's son. He would never know of his true parents. He would be a Tribe cat.

Tiny suddenly picked his head up, his eyes still clamped firmly shut. He let out a tiny mewl. Shadow licked his head tenderly, and he slumped again, asleep. Shadow's heart burst as she thought that she would never see Storm again. Her kittens...her tiny kittens, barely as big as her paw, unable to move, unable to see...

_I have to be strong. _Storm would be happy as a Tribe cat. He'd never know Scourge. He wouldn't have to hear what Shadow would have to tell her other two kits...

Shadow put Tiny on her back again, and wobbled as she thought of Storm. _Strong...strong... _Shadow picked up Daisy and continued on.

The sky became light, and still Shadow walked on. For Storm, for Tiny, for Daisy. Tiny awoke, and started shrieking for milk. Daisy didn't do anything, but her breathing became shallower and quicker, and as the sun went down again, Tiny was positively screaming, and Daisy stopped breathing. The stench of death surrounded her.

"No!" Shadow gasped, dropping Daisy and shaking Tiny roughly from her back. Tiny hit the rocks, and he fell silent, blood trickling from his mouth.

"No!" Shadow wailed again, and she licked Daisy desperately. "Daisy, no, you can't be dead! Daisy! My sweet daughter, my sweet, beautiful daughter, you can't be dead! Daisy, wake up!"

Still, Daisy didn't stir. Shadow turned to Tiny, around whom a pool of blood was forming.

"Tiny, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please wake up, please, Tiny! Tiny!"

Tiny let out a faint mewl. Shadow turned him over with her paw, and she gasped in horror as she saw the long, deep cut in his side and misshapen head.

"What have I done?" Shadow whispered. She looked at the sky, covered in clouds.

"Is this you, Scourge?" she cried, not caring about being heard now. "Are you doing this to me? Because I don't love you anymore?"

Shadow slumped onto the ground, wailing, and spent the night like that.

She didn't care that it started to rain.

She didn't care that she was right next to a deep, rocky gorge.

She didn't care that Tiny, sliding in blood and rain, was washed over the edge with a heart-wrenching mewl.

She didn't care that Daisy had started moving, searching for her mother's milk.

All she knew was that no matter how much she tried to deny it, she _did _love Scourge.

With her whole heart.

Her whole being.

Her whole life.

**Well, there's that. Also, you may be wondering why Stoneteller cared so much? Well, since there's no way that I could reveal this in any other way, he was in love with Shadow! Oooooh! Anyway, poor Shadow! You'll probably be thinking, STUPID SHADOW FOR JUST LETTING HER KITS DIE! Well, it's actually more complicated than that. Her whole life had been wrenched away from her, just because she fell in love with Scourge, and she was being driven insane. Well, I've got about two chappies left, and an epilogue. Woot!**


	15. The Barn

**So, there's this chapter, another chapter, and an epilogue left of this story! Enjoy every word of it!**

"I think she's waking up."

"Get her a mouse, quick!"

"Mommy, what are they talking about?"

"Hush, Smoky."

Shadow opened her eyes blearily. The scene in front of her swam in and out of focus.

It was a warm and cozy nest, with the comforting squeaking of mice everywhere.

"Hi."

A gray-and-white she-cat tentatively dropped a mouse in front of Shadow.

"Are you feeling better?"

Shadow raised her head. "Whermykits?" she asked drunkenly.

"Your kit is fine," she she-cat meowed. "I think you should eat." She nudged the mouse toward Shadow.

"Three kits," Shadow insisted in a blurred voice. "I've three kits."

The she-cat looked worried. "We only saw one..."

Memories came rushing back to Shadow, and she snapped into reality.

"Never mind," Shadow mewed smoothly. She gulped down the mouse, then mewed, "So, you're taking care of Daisy?"

"So that's her name?" she she-cat mewed. "Yes, she is suckling with me and my kit, Floss. Right now, she believes that I am her mother and Floss is her sister, but I'm sure we can easily sort that out now that you're awake."

Shadow mused this for a moment, then asked, "Are there more cats here?"

"Yes," the she-cat meowed. "There's Hay and her kit, Smoky, and then there's Hay's mate Black, and my mate Claw. I'm Maria, by the way."

"Oh." Shadow paused, then meowed, "So...each of you only had one kit?"

"No." Maria looked pained. "The Nofurs took them away."

"Nofurs." Shadow racked her brain. "Do you mean Twolegs?"

"Call them what you will. They took my kits away and gave them to other Nofurs. Hay and I saw them coming, and were each able to hide one newborn kit before the Nofurs saw the others, waited for them to be weaned, and took them away. Smoky and Floss grew up away from their siblings, and always questioned it, but didn't try to disobey."

"Oh." Shadow looked around. "And where are we?"

"A barn. It's where Nofurs keep hay to feed their horses."

Shadow looked up in alarm. "They want to feed Hay to...these horses?"

"No!" Maria looked amused. "Hay was named after the stuff you're laying on."

Shadow looked down at the soft but slightly pointy yellow stuff.

"...Oh."

"Anyway, do you want to come see the barn?"

"Are there...horses here?"

"Not right now. They come in at night, but its midday right now. They'll be outside. Do you know what horses are?"

Shadow shook her head.

"They're really big, with gleaming coats and hairy tails, and they have extra long hair growing out of their necks. They also have really hard paws."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. Anyway, come on, the kits are nearly dying of curiosity."

_Dying. _The word sent a pang through Shadow's heart.

Shadow got to her feet and followed Maria. Clumpy stacks of hay were piled up everywhere, and Shadow saw that they were on some sort of second level in this barn, because she peered over the edge and saw the ground a dizzying distance below.

"How do you get up and down?" she asked.

"There." Maria flicked her tail toward some sort of climbing thing. "It's a ladder. We have to teach the kits to climb up and down themselves, because we sure can't carry them."

"How'd you get me up here?"

"Well, we had Black support you from below, and I wrapped my tail around your neck. It took us from about sunrise to sundown; you can see why we just want to teach the kits so they can do it themselves."

Shadow shivered as she thought of being borne unconscious up here, but she swiftly turned away from the edge and walked with Maria back toward the wall ahead.

"Over there is where we keep the kits," Maria meowed, jerking her head toward the secluded and safe-looking corner of the second level of the barn. "We have a wall of hay around it so they can't get out. Once they can jump high enough, they're old enough to be taught to climb the ladder and so on."

Shadow heard the squeaks and mewls of kits.

"How long was I unconscious?" Shadow mewed.

"About two sunrises. I don't know how old your Daisy was, but very young, too young to be traveling. I can see why she nearly was dead by the time we took her up here. She was freezing and starving to death. It looked like you had been hit in the head by something, and, of course, her eyes weren't open, so she couldn't find you."

"Has she opened her eyes yet?"

"No, but it's not worrying. Wild cats like yourself's kits usually open their eyes after one or two days, but kits of a housecat usually don't open their eyes for about a week. Since she's been living here, there's no stress of opening her eyes, so she hasn't."

Maria leapt to the top of a wall of hay. "Jump up here."

Shadow jumped nimbly up next to Maria, and she looked down on the kits.

There was a gray-and-white tomkit, craning his neck up to look at Shadow and Maria peering down. There was a gray-and-white she-kit, prodding the tomkit, trying to get his attention back to her. Then there was a gray-and-white queen, whose tail was wrapped around a cream-colored ball of fuzz, which was kneading its little forepaws on the queen's belly.

"There!" the tomkit shrieked, his amber eyes wide as he stared at Shadow.

"Hush, Smoky," the queen scolded, as Daisy started to wail.

"Yeah, come on," the gray-and-white she-kit chided Smoky. "You know that that kit doesn't like loud noises."

"Her name is Daisy," Maria meowed, landing softly next the she-kit.

"Daisy," the she-kit mewed dreamily. "That's a pretty name."

"Is that her mother?" Smoky hissed forcefully, jabbing his tail at Shadow.

"Come on down here, erm..." Maria looked sheepish. "I forgot to ask your name."

Shadow paused for a moment. Would her name scare them, make them think she was something evil?

"Well?" Smoky growled.

"My name is...Star," she meowed, thinking wildly.

"Star!" the she-kit yowled. "That's the prettiest name ever!"

"Well, then, come on down here...Star," Maria meowed, though she looked slightly suspicious.

Shadow joined Maria, and Maria laid down on her side.

"You can pass off Daisy," Maria meowed, and the queen gently stopped Daisy from suckling. Daisy mewled in protest, but was soon suckling at Maria's belly, where she seemed even more comfortable.

"That's Hay," Maria mewed, pointing her tail at the queen. "Then the tomkit is Smoky, Hay's, and the she-kit is Floss, mine."

"I'm Daisy's adopted older sister," Floss meowed proudly, puffing out her chest.

"Once Daisy opens her eyes, I'm sure we can tell her the truth," Maria meowed quickly.

Shadow didn't say anything, but her mind was whirling.

_Did _she want Daisy to know the truth?

**Like I said, one more chapter, then the epilogue.**


	16. Never Be Free

**GASP! THE LAST CHAPTER! Wow, I'm actually going to finish a story! Woot! This is a new record!**

_Shadow found herself standing in the middle of Twolegplace_

_She was confused._

_Wasn't she just in that barn?_

_Or had it all been a dream?_

_Was she just six moons old..._

_Dealing with the tyranny of Scourge..._

_Dealing with the abuse of Sand..._

_Dealing with the life in BloodClan?_

_"Shadow."_

_Shadow whipped around._

_Scourge was standing before her._

_Shadow felt her heart give way to Scourge._

_His beautiful black-and-white pelt..._

_His beautiful blue eyes..._

_She was in love with him, so deeply in love with him that she couldn't resist._

_She couldn't stay away._

_"Scourge," she purred, rushing to his side._

_They twined their tails, purring._

_"I had this dream," Shadow mewed breathlessly. "You were planning to take over these Clans, but you were killed."_

_Scourge pulled away from Shadow. "No," he growled. "Shadow, this is the dream."_

_Shadow just stared at him._

_How could this be a dream?_

_It was so real..._

_Scourge was right there..._

_But as she stared at Scourge, he started to fade._

_"Scourge!" Shadow cried, flinging herself to his side again, but she found that she couldn't touch him._

_She couldn't feel him._

_"Shadow, listen to me," Scourge meowed, holding her gaze._

_Dark blue eyes stared into stormy gray ones._

_"Shadow," Scourge mewed, "you didn't like my plans. I don't understand why. But I love you. With every fiber of my being. And so, though it pains my ambition, I have to warn you. Something worse than me is coming."_

_"Scourge, no!" Shadow screeched as Scourge started to fade. "You've been haunting my dreams! Now that I can talk to you, why are you leaving?"_

_"I will never leave you, Shadow," Scourge hissed ominously._

_Suddenly, everything rushed back to Shadow._

_Scourge killed so many innocent cats._

_Scourge had been planning to destroy more lives._

_Scourge had seduced her into loving him._

_"No," Shadow whispered, "I never want to see you again!"_

_"I will never leave you Shadow..."_

_"No...go away!"_

_"I will never leave you..."_

_"NO!"_

_"...Shadow."_

##########

Dread, as cold as ice, crept into Shadow's veins as she woke with a jerk.

Scourge would never leave her.

Never.

##########

Shadow spent one more day with the barn, but she knew she couldn't stay. As long as Scourge owned her heart, she would be a danger to everyone around her.

Shadow took aside Maria at moonhigh, when everyone else was asleep.

"I can't stay here," she meowed. "I...have something I must do. But I want Daisy to have a chance at a better life. Would you keep telling Daisy that you're her mother? That Floss is her sister?"

Maria nodded solemnly. "I knew you wouldn't stay. I knew that you'd have to make amends with yourself."

"What do you mean?"

Maria gazed at her. "Your two other kits...they're gone, aren't they?"

Shadow's heart pounded. "Yes."

"And your name isn't Star."

"No."

"Well," Maria sighed, "it's not like I'd try to stop you."

"Thanks, Maria."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

"Do you want to see Daisy? One last time?"

"Yes. But can I do it alone?"

Without waiting for an answer, Shadow leapt onto the wall of hay and stared down at the cream-colored kit that was once her own.

As she watched, Daisy's head turned toward her, and her eyes opened for the first time.

Dark blue.

Like any other kit's.

But somehow, Shadow knew that they wouldn't change.

"Goodbye," she whispered, and she feared that she might fall apart. But she held in her grief, and left the barn.

She wouldn't let herself look back.

Storm...

Tiny...

Daisy.

Scourge.

**Well, I think you would know what happens to those cats at the barn. And I think you know what happens to Storm...anyone look at the Outcast allegiances? Well, let's see what happens to all our other favorite cats during the epilogue, where some questions will be answered...**


	17. Epilogue

**And here's the epilogue! There will be many different POVs, and they'll all be separated by the #'s. These events take place in sequence. The first happens a few days after Honeyfern's death (WAAAAA!), and then sometime after that, then a little after that one, then finally the end. So, there you have it.  
**

Daisy watched as Berrynose left the camp, still grieving Honeyfern's death.

Daisy's heart went out to her son, though she couldn't really understand how he felt.

She had never really loved Smoky. She had just wanted kits of her own.

And Spiderleg...

Oh, Spiderleg...

She thought she still loved him, though she didn't know what loving another cat really was anymore.

Daisy's eyes swept to Mousewhisker and Hazeltail, huddled in a corner of the camp, whispering to each other. Their eyes kept flickering toward where Berrynose had last stood, and Daisy knew she wasn't the only one worrying about Berrynose.

"Mom?"

Toadkit and Rosekit stood next to Daisy, staring at the camp entrance.

"What's wrong with Berrynose?"

Daisy sighed and stroked her kits' heads lovingly. "He loved that cat Honeyfern, you know. It's just taking him a while to get over her."

"Oh." Toadkit looked like he understood, while Rosekit still looked confused. Daisy wondered fleetingly if Toadkit had a little crush on another kit.

Berrynose came back, still looking confused and depressed.

Honeyfern had died sunrises ago.

He couldn't keep grieving like this.

Could he?

_What is love?_

##########

Storm flicked his tail dismissively at Splash, who had been following him around admiringly...again.

How long would it take for Splash to realize he didn't love her back?

"Splash been following you again?" Pebble meowed, coming up to him and looking amused.

"Can't you get your friend off of me?" he mewed, annoyed that this seemed to be entertaining her.

Pebble shrugged. "Sorry. The heart wants what the heart wants. Anyway, we need another for a hunting patrol. Come on."

Storm followed Pebble, still fuming. He felt Splash's eyes burning into his back, but he knew that Splash couldn't follow him out of camp.

He knew that Splash wasn't the one for him. She was kind, yes, and powerful, but he just found her somewhat braggy at times, and she always seemed to have to get what she wanted.

Storm sighed. He just didn't know what to do anymore. He just wanted to be a normal Tribe cat, without having to deal with the angst of love.

##########

Shadow suddenly stopped, and thoughts came rushing to her for the first time in moons.

How long had it been since she had last seen her kits?

Was Storm happy as a Tribe cat?

Was Daisy happy in the barn, maybe raising Smoky's kits?

Was Tiny watching her from above, at his father's side...

Shadow shivered at the thought.

Tiny had just been an innocent kit...

He would have gone somewhere better than wherever Scourge was.

But Shadow knew that she couldn't run from her fate anymore.

Wherever she went, Scourge followed her.

She would never be free.

Breathing heavily, her mind whirring, she realized that she was about to die.

Her pelt was ragged.

She barely caught more than a mouse every few sunrises or less.

Her tongue was parched.

Shadow looked around the mountains she had been wandering ever since she had left Daisy.

She knew where she was, though.

The gorge was right there.

The gorge where she had lost Tiny.

Taking her final, shuddering breath, she stepped over the edge.

The bottom rushed up to meet her, and she stepped into death's welcoming paws.

Maybe now, Scourge would be gone.

Maybe now, in death, she would be free.

##########

The cat sniffed the ragged corpse at his feet.

He raised his head in astonishment.

It smelled like...

It couldn't be!

The cat whipped around, and snapped, "Smell that."

One of the cat's slaves stepped forward and inhaled the dead cat's scent.

"Well?" the cat snapped.

"It...it smells like you," the slave mewed fearfully, stumbling backward.

In a blind rage, the cat swiped his reinforced claws, and the slave lay dead at the cat's feet.

"Take this piece of filth away from me," the cat ordered. More slaves came forward and bore the dead slave's body away.

The cat looked up.

Some said that the cat was like their old leader, and they believed that the cat was their old leader's son.

The cat _knew _he was the old leader's son.

Black-and-white pelt.

Dark blue eyes.

The cold fire in his heart.

But _he _would do what his father did not.

He would raise BloodClan to glorious heights.

He would not let the corpse of his mother stop him.

For he was Scorn.

And he would do whatever it took to rule.

Whatever it took.

**That's the end of this story! I hope you all enjoyed it! It actually turned out way different than I was planning, except for the part with Daisy. I had been planning that all along! But anyway, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, to tell me how much you LURVED this story, because I need positive feedback on something I actually finished! Thanks! It's been wonderful typing this dark story, but now I have to let go! *sniffle* Read my other stories!**


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